BERKELEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SolarBuyer,
a specialized procurement management company based in Boston, MA has
partnered with PV
Evolution Labs (PVEL), an expert PV module testing laboratory
located in Berkeley, CA, in order to offer a new PV module buying
service that integrates supplier qualification and quality assurance
into the procurement of PV modules for investors, banks, project
developers and EPCs.

Solar investors realize that PV modules are not a commodity in today’s
market and that module quality represents a real risk to solar
investments. SolarBuyer’s new partnership with PVEL enables solar
investors and module buyers in North America to qualify suppliers based
on a rigorous testing and auditing process. The partnership will also
enable buyers’ to independently assure the quality of individual PV
module purchases – both before and after shipment.

Poor module quality can cause failures in the field, which lead to
underperformance and poor investment returns. Investors are increasingly
reluctant to rely on manufacturers’ warranties and balance sheets to
protect them from these risks. The preferred approach is to mitigate as
much of the potential risk upfront and ensure that the quality
of each PV module going into the field can be verified.

The reality is that modules do fail and that the risks of failure are
increasing as the cost pressure within the solar industry continues to
increase. SolarBuyer pre-shipment inspections of PV modules have
revealed average defect rates in excess of 8% - with some shipments
exceeding 20%. The new supplier qualification program, including
in-depth factory audits and product reliability testing, will identify
potential risks and ensure selection of the right suppliers for a
particular project. Targeted
quality assurance will then be applied during the actual build,
delivery and site acceptance of the modules for a specific project.

“This exciting new partnership combines decades of PV manufacturing
know-how, state-of-the-art solar testing capabilities and $1.5 B in
commercial solar transactions. From the cradle to the grave, we will
make sure that every investment in solar modules is secure,” said Mr.
Ian Gregory, Managing Director of SolarBuyer. Mr. Jenya Meydbray,
co-founder and CEO of PVEL added that, “this new service package
provides investors with a brand new way to deal with concerns about
module quality and reliability and will help buyers select and purchase
investment-grade PV modules.”

SolarBuyer provides unique procurement management services for the solar
industry. SolarBuyer has developed a PV module procurement model based
on aggregating buyers demand, independently auditing and qualifying PV
manufacturers and assuring the quality of purchased modules with direct
factory oversight and independent source inspection of every delivered
module. The goal is to ensure that every module is independently
quality-assured and free from defects impacting field performance and
reliability. For further information in the USA contact Mr. Ian Gregory
at +1.508.459.8550 and in Europe contact Mr. Peter Rusch at
+49.30.9559.1343.